Car-coupling



'Patented Feb. |14,` |a99.f

J. o.'v s'ow.4 cAn couPLmG. (Application med out. 5; 1s9s.\

(No Model.)

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UNITED l STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OI-IN OWEN STOW, OF LAWRENCE, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,699, dated February 14, 1899.

Application iiled October 5, 1898. Serial Nos 692,683. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JOHN OWEN Srow, of Lawrence, in the county of Van Buren and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupler, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a car-coupler of that class in Which'swin ging hooks are mounted on the cars and designed to engage each other to couple the cars and so'adjusted as to enable the brakemen to nncouple the cars while the latter are in motion.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi.- cate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coupler, showing it applied, the cars being partly shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the coupler, and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in a different p0- sition.

To the usual draw-head 4 of the car my in"- vention is applied by means of a bolt 5, passing through a projecting portion 6 of the draw-head.

The coupler consists of a beam 7, having a bifurcated front portion and mounted to swing on the bolt 5, said beam 7 having engagement with a spring-arm 8, secured to the draw-head 4 of the coupler, by which arm the beam 7 is kept in longitudinal alinement with the draw-head. The arm 8, however, permits the beam 7 to swing when the cars are in the act of turning a curve and also when the twin jaws are forced apart in coupling. The front end of the beam 7 carries in its bifurcated part the coupling jaw or hook 9, the point 10 of which is adapted to coact with the similar point of a companion jaw or hook. The outer end of the jaw or hook 9 is pivotally connected with a link 11, which extends rearwardly and is pivoted to the short arm of a lever 12, fulcrumed on the bolt 5. Said short arm of the lever 12 is pivoted to a spring 14, which is fast to the beam 7, and by which means the lever 12 is held in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position the coupling-jaw is held closed. When the lever 12 is drawn aside,

as shown in Fig. 3, the jaw 9 will be moved by the movement of the link 11, so as to release or uncouple the cars. The outer end of the lever 12 is connected with a chain 15, which passes to a shaft 16 on the car, said shaft being provided with a hand-wheel 16,

and by operating said shaft by means of its hand-wheel the chain 15 may be strained and the lever 12 operated.

Held beneath the draw-head 4 and beneath the beam 7 and the lever 12 is a bottom plate 17, which is fastened securely to the drawhead 4 and which is further strengthened by a strap 18, for which see Fig. 1, The bottom plate `17 serves to strengthen the structure and to protect the parts from fracture.

When the levers 12 are thrown to closed position, with their free ends resting on the solid portions of the beams 7, as shown in Fig. 2, the arrangement of said levers, the

links 11, and the jaws or hooks 9, serve to prevent said jaws or hooks from swinging outward and releasing the couplings; but should one of the levers 12 be drawn aside, as shown in Fig. 3, the strain on the coupling will at once throw out one of the jaws or hooks, and the couplings will be released.

It will be observed that the pivots of the levers 12 and the points of connection between the levers and the links 11 are out ot alinement when the levers are in the position shown in Fig. 2. This serves to prevent the accidental uncoupling of the cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A car-coupler, having a beam with a bifurcated front portion, a hook pivoted in the bifurcated portion of the beam, a link connected with the hook, and a lever fulcrumed on the coupling and connected with the link,

IOO

the point of the hook being:r looated at one side of Jthe pivot, a link pivotally connected with the hook at the other side of the pivot, and a lever support-ed in a fuloium on the coupler, and pvotally connected with the link so as to throw the hook from a position transverse to the car to a position longitudinal Jtherewith.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-heads, of a beam supported on each draw-head, a hook pivotally mounted on each beam, the hooks being arranged to engage with each other when disposed transversely to the draw-heads, a link in connection with each hook, and a level' attached to each link, vs hereby to throw the hooks to positions transverse to the draw-heads o1' longitudinal there- With.

JOHN OXVEN STOV. XVitnesses:

GEORGE CHAPMAN, ALBERT G. SToW. 

